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Sunday, December 30, 2012

Universe, as much (or as little) as we know about it, is absolutely mind-blowing. No doubt about it.

And, here is a book that blends fantasy, adventure, mythology, facts and poetry as a girl and a boy explore our magical reality.

Venturing farther from our own planet, into our solar system, out to our galaxy, past our neighboring nebulae and bright constellations, the book blends poetic whimsy and visual fancy as we take a far-fetched tour of our universe.

I'll spin like a pinwheelThrough the Milky Way's froth,Take a ride on the Great BearAnd never fall off.While not the book to learn scientific facts from, a prior knowledge of facts makes the reading experience rich and rewarding. Knowing about Neptune's Great Dark Spot (storm) much like Jupiter's Great Red Spot, Venus's volcanoes and hot climate, the many moons of Jupiter, the mythological stories of the constellations like Orion and Pegasus, all help us enjoy the text with jaw-dropping wonder as we take this imaginary trip around the universe.

The illustrations are stunning! Absolutely inspiring. Rich colors and enchanting images with swirls and action depict movement and adventure in this journey of fantasy undertaken by a bespectacled boy and long-haired girl.

I'll steal Neptune's winds,'Round his rings I will whirl;Across his Dark SpotLike a cyclone I'll swirl.Back of the book presents space facts, brief, clear and concise, along with tidbits from Greek mythology and Native American traditions and ancient Egyptian beliefs.

Knowing that Uranus rolls rather than spins like the rest of the planets as it orbits the sun, reading the bold declaration of the girl

along with the gorgeous illustration that captures the coldness and remoteness and yet the warm determination of the little girl makes it both fascinating and engaging.

It is one of the top favorites in our bookshelf. On and off for the last 2 years, the older child simply loved sitting with the book open to her favorite page and dreaming about the possibilities. Now, the younger one enjoys it just as much, adding his own objections like, "No they can't do that, they can't bake ginger cookies on Venus, they'll get burned before they get to it" or "No, they can't follow the sun, why do they say that they can?", as he is too literal sometimes for this fanciful adventure.

I simply gaze at the illustrations, marveling at the talent and then sit back quietly awed by the author's clever poetry. Yet another Barefoot Books publication we have on our bookshelf that affirms my faith in their commitment for presenting quality books for the children.